Good Morning -Back at the start of the summer, my favorite horrorscoper, Rob Brezny, did his 6-month check-in. For a small fee, one can click a link and listen to extended ideas about one's path for the year and see if any adjustments need to be made at the half-way point.
At the start of the summer, we were head-first in the questions, ideas, and changing plans that would eventually land us in Denver in early October, so I paid the $6 and listened to what the man had to say about the rest of my year.
There were lots of pieces and ideas, but the one I'm going to focus on for the next bit involves home - how I define it, what I need from it, what I give it in return, etc.
Specifically, what he said was: Work on relationship to home, roots, tradition and stabilizing forces and resources. Be honest about what I truly need to have a happy home. Be clear about which people, animals, community, and environment I most benefit from - know in great detail. Get honest with what I need and what I'm willing to give to have a happy home. How much am I willing to commit to caring for the environment that brings out the best in me? Am I willing to give them as much as they give me? ...power of mature new intentions about resources that serve as stabilizing foundation (Oct. 21 - Nov. 19).
To that end, I'm going to use this next time to flesh out these ideas. Home is so important to me and I am sensitive to my environment, so it seems a good practice to get clear about home in this time that I've moved to a new one.
The Virgen above starts us off. I need space to grow a garden and compost my kitchen scraps. I need to be able to then eat off that garden all year - because I eat it fresh and because I am able to freeze, pickle, preserve, and otherwise put up its bounty. I need to be able to get my hands dirty in the soil. I need to have space to grow from seeds and I need the four moderate seasons of spring, summer, fall, and winter to frame my growing. I need to share this bounty with my family and friends. I need to be able to sit and watch the growing and the pollinating and the general busy that occurs in a garden.
In return, I give to my environment cultivated soil. I give the pollinators delicious flowers from which to sup. I give my friends and family fresh produce. I do my local bit to keep fuel-soaked fruits and vegetables off the market (if we all stop buying them and grow our own or support the locals who do...).
I know there's some seeming elitism in all this garden talk. I know there are plenty of people whose homes don't allow for rows of organic produce. I know that - which is why I also intend to get involved in an urban gardening group. I found one called DUG (Denver Urban Gardeners) and am going to check out volunteering.
I think I've mentioned before how every time I walk past a vacant lot in a city, I think "garden". It's a crime and a half that the produce available in groceries in economically depressed areas are the worst in freshness, nutritional value, price, etc. I want to work with groups that are bringing gardening back to places that need it. More to follow.
To wrap up today, I've got some pictures of the food I made yesterday. I'll elaborate in another Virgen about my need for a good kitchen and my need to cook, but for now, here are some pictures of the beef bourguignon (this is Julia's recipe - I can't find an online version of Jacques Pepin's that I got in an email newsletter, but since they were close, I figure the recipes are close) and popcorn balls I made yesterday.
As you can see from the recipe, there is no call for added chocolate and butterscotch chips, but I thought those would be delicious - in half of them. My partner doesn't like alterations like that, so half of the balls I made were traditional and half lead to the need for insulin following consumption.
The bottom of the bowl of the traditional balls.
Finished product. I don't remember the last time I made popcorn balls, but I remember the first. I was 17 and home recovering from a tonsillectomy. I had gotten to the point where I was still too sick to go to school, but better enough to be bored during the day. It was fall and the weather was beautiful and somehow I got the notion to make popcorn balls and pumpkin bread for my family. For that batch, I added M&M's and Reese's Pieces and they were delicious.
This is a shot of the lardons for the stew. Basically simmer covered in a touch of water some good thick bacon (or pancetta, if your pocketbook allows) with baby carrots, mushrooms, small sweet onions, a splash of oil, and a dash of sugar, salt, and pepper. After 15 minutes of that tenderizing simmer, remove the lid and cook off the liquid until some caramelizing of veggies occurs. Stir half of these into the stew, and use the rest as garnish on top.
The stew. Oh, it was delicious. It's hard to go wrong when the recipe calls to add a bottle of red wine, but the meat was also incredibly good. We got it from a local store and the beef they have is local and sustainable from a small ranch. You really can taste the difference. This was $4.99 chuck roast and the flavor and texture were both so pure.
No comments:
Post a Comment